Coaching Controversy

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last year, you have heard about the tumultuous coaching change at West Virginia University. It has been a continuous storyline during the offseason for college football reporters, and still rears its ugly head just weeks before the 2008 season begins. Thankfully, the lawsuits have been settled in court and West Virginia did receive the $4 million dollars from the buyout clause on Rod’s contract; however, one thing remains unsettled: the stomachs of Mountaineer football fans.

The “ugly divorce,” as columnists labeled it, between West Virginia and Rich Rodriguez, came as a shock to the Mountaineer community. How could the coach that lifted this program onto the national pedestal leave weeks after it was ranked as the #1 team in the country? Over the last year a lot of information has leaked out concerning the weeks prior to his departure, and it turns out that the deteriorating relationship between Rodriguez and the athletic department had reached a point of irreparable damage. Rodriguez began looking for an exit strategy. A lackluster season by Lloyd Carr at Michigan opened up an irresistible opportunity, and Rodriguez jumped at the chance to coach in one of the top college football programs of all time.

The press conferences with Rodriguez decked out in Michigan regalia have long since sunk in, but the nerves associated with the Mountaineer ship without its salty sea-worn captain remain. Is Bill Stewart a worthy replacement for the father of the spread offense? Can he maintain or even improve the Mountaineer program from the point where Rodriguez left off? Only time will tell, but I think that Bill Stewart is exactly what the Mountaineer program needs right now.

As I look back at the tenure of Rich Rodriguez I see the obvious accomplishments that the program achieved: numerous Big East Championships, high-profile bowl victories, legitimate Heisman contenders, etc. However, I also look back and see moments of hair-pulling frustration. For example, last year on September 8th in Huntington, West Virginia, the Mountaineers trailed Marshall 13-6 at halftime. I specifically remember numerous 3-and-outs as Rodriguez repeatedly tried to rush the football, getting shut down time after time. When this “run-it-down-their-throats,” strategy was failing, Rodriguez seemed to take it personally, and would follow it up with a “now we are really going to run it down their throats,” attack.

We know Coach Rod wanted to win, but it seems that there was some underlying agenda to win only by running the football. Passing the football was the last resort, and Rodriguez would only turn to it in the most desperate situations. Not only did his stubborn one-dimensional offensive strategy put pressure on the players to succeed by running, but it also increased the wear and tear on ball carriers. As mentioned above, the two losses last season came when Pat White was sitting on the sideline injured. Had the offense incorporated some passing, it may have alleviated those injuries, opened up the running game even more, and reduced the number of weak offensive starts and subsequent close games.

Reports from West Virginia’s training camp indicate that Bill Stewart has been working some downfield passing into the offense. He realizes that Pat White is the lifeblood of the offense, and that he can not afford to put him in jeopardy by running on every down. Some believe that Stewart is not qualified for the job. I agree that his 8-25 record at VMI does not exactly instill the highest confidence regarding his ability to win; however, can you imagine how hard it would be to try and recruit good football players to come and play at a tiny military school? Not to mention, when the captain of the team declares on public television that Stewart should be the new head coach, it says a lot more about him as a coach and a leader than an irrelevant record in a completely different league. Stewart has surrounded himself with experienced coaches from major programs around the country and has key offensive starters returning. The defense does not have as much experience, but the coaching staff feels confident about the progress that many of the players have been making during camp.

Yes, Rodriguez took a piece of West Virginia football with him when he left, but part of that piece we didn’t want anyway. Coach Stew is now at the helm and he vowed to never leave West Virginia as long as he is wanted. That is good news, because the only divorce that Mountaineer fans could face now would be between the players and those atrocious yellow uniforms.